The preparations are done, the rehearsals are complete, and Prince William and Catherine Middleton said their farewells to each other before they see each other again tomorrow at their epic wedding at Westminster Abbey.
While Wednesday was reported to be the final rehearsal at the medieval venue, the truth is that one was final for Prince William. Catherine, on the other hand, had one last run through this morning at the Abbey with soon-to-be brother-in-law Prince Harry and a few of her bridal party.
Afterward, she and Harry rode through the streets of London with the people who are already camped out for their spot along the procession route cheering for her.
Catherine went to Clarence House where she and William said their final good-byes until tomorrow. Then Catherine rode to Goring Hotel, where her family is staying for the night. Looking happy and every bit the princess, she waved to the crowds gathered outside the hotel. That is where the bride will leave for her wedding tomorrow.
To make sure no one sees what her much anticipated wedding dress will look like, a large canopy has been placed over the entrance of Goring Hotel so Catherine could enter the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI transporting her to the Abbey. Then when she steps out, the world will finally see what the bride’s dress will look like.
Also today, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, made a surprise visit to those camped out along The Mall. She told them, “We’re all ready for tomorrow – its wonderful and all very exciting!”
“There’s a great atmosphere out here and it’s so nice to meet people and see how the celebrations are getting underway.”
Today, the wedding program was unveiled, featuring the songs to be sung and admitting that no, Catherine will not vow to obey her husband.
The program also had a message from the bride and groom, telling the world a deep heart thank you for their support during the days leading up to the wedding.
Whatever happens tomorrow, it is sure to be a loving, romantic occasion.
I know its early, but…three cheers for William and Catherine!
UPDATE: Hours before his nuptials, Prince William made an impromptu walkabout to greet the crowds waiting along the procession route. The Prince shook hands and posed for pictures. Supposedly, he said he was concerned about the crowd camping out overnight.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Morocco Monday, the final leg of their three nation tour to promote British business. This visit comes as Morocco is facing political changes amidst the protests sweeping across the Arab world. Although the climate has been mild compared to other countries, Morocco is still at a crossroads.
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Upon meeting with the British royals, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi called the changes a “peaceful revolution”.
He said: “This is a very big event for Morocco, for the King to have invited the Prince, and it will reaffirm the historic relationship between the two countries.”
Charles and Camilla were greeted in Rabat by Prince Moulay Rachid, brother to King Mohammed VI. When they sat down for formal talks, they were served milk, a tradition in Morocco for its “sweet and pure intentions”.
Later, the couple paid a solemn visit to the tombs of King Mohammed V and King Hassan II. Prince Charles removed his shoes and the Duchess donned a head scarf as they paused in front of the final resting places of the last two Kings. The Prince even laid a wreath there.
Some British newspapers raised an eyebrow over Charles’ gesture. They said it was an ironic move since King Hassan II was considered to be “tyrannical” and yet his son, Mohammed VI, is making changes in politics and human rights.
Fouad Abdelmoumni, an economist and pro-democracy campaigner, suggested the timing of the Prince’s visit to Hassan II’s tomb was far from ideal.
He said: “Some people would think that it’s not the best time for him to do this kind of thing, and not the best place to visit.”
However, most Moroccans are aware that Prince Charles is on a diplomatic visit. There’s been some concern that the visit will be marred by protests, but so far, nothing serious.
Charles and Camilla ended their first day in the country by dining with King Mohammed VI and his family at Palais Dar Salam in Rabat.
After three days in neighboring Portugal, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, flew east to Spain for the second stop on their three nation tour to promote British business. The couple arrived in Madrid, but went to Pardo Palace in its outskirts to be greeted by their hosts, the Prince and Princess of Asturias – Felipe and Letizia.
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The Spanish couple met with Charles and Camilla at the start of an opening ceremony that included a color guard. Prince Charles seemed enamored by Princess Letizia, and kissed her hand upon meeting her – much to the delight of everyone watching.
After the ceremony, the Prince and the Duchess met with about 300 volunteers who help British residents in Spain at a reception at the home of Britain’s ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman.
“Although it is impossible for the royal couple to meet everybody, their presence is a tribute to each and every person who helps our British residents,” Paxman said in a statement.
About one million Britons reside in Spain during the year, or just part of it.
Tonight, Felipe and Letizia will host a dinner in honor of their British guests. Tomorrow, Charles and Camilla will lunch with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. The Prince of Wales is expected to make speeches during both meals as part of a toast.
Later in the week, the couple will travel to Seville and also go to a private estate in Granada to spend a few days before heading to Morocco, the last leg of their tour.
This is Prince Charles’ tenth visit to Spain, but Camilla’s first official trip.
Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, began their official visit to Portugal Monday. It is the start of a three nation tour that will also take them to Spain and Morocco. The 10 day long visits are part of promoting British business.
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It was a rainy day in Lisbon when the couple were greeted by President Anibal Cavaco Silva at the Belem Presidential Palace. Official held umbrellas over the heads of the Prince of Wales and Silva as the national anthems of Britain and Portugal played during the welcoming ceremony.
Next came the press photos and the signing of the Book of Honor. Afterward, the President and the Prince held a half hour talk while Camilla and the Portuguese First Lady, Dr Maria Cavaco Silva, took a tour of a horse-drawn carriage museum.
Also part of their agenda, Charles and Camilla visited the monument of the tomb of poet and Portuguese national hero Luis Vaz de Camoes. They laid a wreath there, much to the surprise of onlookers. The couple also visited an English-language school and met with the students.
The royals are in Portugal during a time of crisis. Last week, its prime minister – Jose Socrates – quit and the country is facing financial struggles similar to Ireland and Greece.
Charles and Camilla will remain in Portugal for three days before moving on to Spain.
Sources: The Press Association, Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Wow, was this a big year for royalty! From weddings and engagements to engagements being called off, plus so many other stories, royalty was happening in 2010!
Choose which was the biggest story in the royalty world below:
The United Kingdom has been wracked by students protesting the sharp increase in university fee in recent days. But the rioting took a new turn when a car carrying Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, drove through a demonstration site and their car was attacked.
AP Photo/Matt Dunham
About 50 students broke through the police barrier and ran up to the vehicle, shouting “Off with their heads!” and “Tory scum, its your government!”
A window was broken and paint was thrown at the car.
“We can confirm that their Royal Highnesses’ car was attacked by protesters on the way to their engagement at the London Palladium this evening,” a spokesman for Prince Charles said. “Their Royal Highnesses are unharmed.”
While Charles and Camilla were visibly shocked by the attack, they remained calm. When they arrived at the Royal Variety Performance, the couple performed their duty as though nothing had happened.
The attack came after a vote in the House of Commons to approve a plan to raise the existing cap on tuition rates charged by universities from £3,000 to £9,000. That is like a nearly $10,000 increase — from roughly $4,700 to $14,000. Lawmakers approved the plan in a 323-302 vote.
The measure awaits approval by the House of Lords and a signature by Queen Elizabeth II before it becomes active.
Politicians and supporters say the tuition hike must be done in order to cut the British government’s deficit.
But others say it would keep students who cannot afford the hike out of university.
Hours after announcing their long awaited engagement, Prince William and fiancée Catherine Middleton met with the media. Wearing the same blue sapphire engagement ring as William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, the future Princess was all smiles as her future husband told the world why she was wearing it.
Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
“It was my way to make sure my mother didn’t miss out,” William explained. “It’s very special to me. As Kate’s very special to me now, it was right to put the two together.”
According to Hello! Magazine, Catherine told the press that joining the royal family is a “daunting prospect”.
But she added: “Hopefully I’ll take it in my stride. William is a great teacher so hopefully he’ll help me.”
When asked why did it take so long for the couple to announce plans to marry, the Prince replied, “I didn’t realise it was a race, otherwise I probably would have been a lot quicker.
“The time is right now. We’re both very, very happy and I’m very glad that I have done it.”
REUTERS/Paul Hackett
Miss Middleton added: “We have been going out a long time. We had spoken about our future and it just seemed the natural step for both of us.”
When William’s father, Prince Charles, was making an official appearance today, he was naturally asked about the big news.
“Thrilled, obviously, thank you. They have been practicing long enough,” he said before continuing on with his duties.
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the stepmother of Prince William, called the news “wicked” – in good way.
Earlier today, Catherine’s parents, Michael and Carole, briefly met with the press. They said they were “thrilled” – which seems to be the word of the day!
“As you know Catherine and Prince William have been going out for quite a number of years, which is great for us because we have got to know William very well. We think he’s wonderful and we’re extremely fond of him,” Michael went on to say.
“They make a lovely couple. They’re great fun to be with and we’ve had a lot of laughs together,” he says. “We wish them every happiness for the future.”
Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani of Qatar, and his wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al-Missned, were welcomed to the UK in an elaborate ceremony at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, were at the event, in which everyone arrived in golden carriages. The Emir is in the country in hopes of investing in British companies.
REUTERS/Kirsty Wigglesworth/POOL
Among the firms the Emir is looking at is the auction house, Christie’s, which he would like to see add to Qatar’s Islamic Museum of Art.
“We are building a museum and it (Christie’s) has links with the stuff we are collecting for our museum,” he told the Financial Times newspaper.
“It depends on the opportunity — if we had a good opportunity we would not hesitate.”
Qatar already has a growing influence in the UK. In May, it bought the famous department store Harrod’s for about 1.5 billion pounds. The gulf state also has a 6.8 percent stake in British banking giant Barclays and a 25.9 percent share in the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain.
The Qatari royals seem to be good friends of the British royal family as a result of the investments. During the welcoming ceremony, all appeared to be joking with each other.
Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, even appeared to be flirtatious with Sheikha Mozah. Royal reporter Richard Palmer from the Daily Express said on Twitter that the Prince playfully teased about her looking youthful despite being 51 years old.
There was an exchange of gifts between Qatar and UK. The Queen gave the Emir a 16th century engraving of Windsor Castle and a history of the town. In return, His Highness gave her jewel encrusted box.
There will be a state dinner at Windsor Castle this evening. Tomorrow, the Emir and Sheikha Mozah would receive a tour of the Olympic stadium meant for the 2012 Summer Games.
70 years to the day the Royal Air Force battled German pilots over British skies during World War II, the U.K. commemorated the anniversary with an air show, a military parade and of course, members of the House of Windsor.
REUTERS/Luke MacGregor
Prince Charles, Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William were at Westminister Abbey for the event Sunday morning. Also in attendance was Prime Minister David Cameron and many RAF leaders.
The Prince of Wales, who stood on a podium since he is the patron of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association, and his son and wife saluted as the RAF servicemen and women as they marched passed the Abbey. They were later treated to an air show which included Spitfires and Hurricanes.
RAF Chaplain in Chief Raymond Pentland said at the ceremony: “Seventy years ago a generation of young men took to the skies and their bravery and sacrifice won our freedom.
“Today we salute the few and give thanks for their bravery, sacrifice and our freedom.”
While the Battle of Britain was a major focus for today’s commemoration, the war in Afghanistan was also mentioned, since the RAF is involved in that conflict.
“Without the freedom of the skies in Afghanistan,” said Sir Stephen Dalton, Chief of Air Staff. “There would need to be 10 times the number of soldiers and marines on the ground to achieve the same effect.”
The Battle of Britain began on July 10th 1940 and ended on October 31st. Nearly 3,000 British, Commonwealth and Allied aircrew took part.
Saturday saw one of the biggest royal events in Britain this year – Trooping the Colour, the day when the entire British royal family gathers on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 84th birthday.
AP Photo/Sang Tan
Although the Queen’s real birthday is on April 21st, she officially celebrates her big day in June.
Dressed in either military uniform or in lovely hats, the House of Windsor watched 1,400 soldiers parade in front of the Palace. The troops taking part in the parade included members of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, who returned from Afghanistan six weeks ago.
After the parade came the fly over – when the military planes fly above Buckingham Palace.
The term Trooping the Colour comes from when a regiment’s flag is paraded past the troops and the monarch.
Prince Harry was not at this year’s event, as he is vacationing in Africa.
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